The Hill & Son Grand Organ was a project that Peter and I took a personal interest in, and loved to visit on Saturday mornings to check on the progress of the restoration. It is essential that opportunities for this great instrument continue to be a vital part of musical life, not just in the Barossa, so I am especially excited about the projects that will focus on making this wonderful organ part of 21st century music making.

Margaret Lehmann
Peter Lehmann Arts & Education Trust

For Elise Reed and Lane Blieschke, the news that they were awarded the Cellarmasters and Thomas scholarships has been a welcome start to their university studies.

Elise will study Occupational Therapy at the University of South Australia while Lane will study Advanced Health and Medical Science at the University of Adelaide with both expressing a desire to return to the Barossa and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the community.

Elise and Lane were selected from a strong group of students, demonstrating excellent academic results, a strong work ethic and a commitment to the region. For the panel, selecting two students that are committed to coming back to the Barossa to work in the health sector made sense.

‘Not having to stress about fitting in extra paid work to pay for text books means I can focus on my studies’ said Elise.

This was a sentiment shared by Lane who will relocate to Adelaide to be able to focus on a course load that will see her with five full days of classes. ‘I am grateful that I have grown up in the Barossa, and I look forward to being able to come back and make a contribution to the health and well-being of the community.’ said Lane.

The Cellarmasters Scholarship was established in 2014 in partnership with the Woolworths Liquor Group (WLG). As a major employer in the region, through Cellarmasters, Vinpac and Dorrien Estate, WLG wished to acknowledge the loyalty and support of staff, customers and suppliers by establishing an educational scholarship supporting local young people.

‘The Thomas scholarship was one of the first initiatives launched by Foundation Barossa, after research showed that kids from rural and regional areas had lower completion rates of tertiary education because of the added stress of moving away, missing family support and the additional financial burden. Thanks to the generosity of David and Barbara Thomas, and the ongoing annual contribution from Cellarmasters, awarding these scholarships is just another way the foundation is able to fulfil its mission of giving today to enable tomorrow,” said Nick Slape, Chair of Foundation Barossa.

Both scholarships provide up to $18,000 over three years to assist with textbooks, fees, transport and relocation expenses.

The formal presentation of the scholarships will take place at an event in February.

For winemaker John Hughes, the Kicking Goals scholarship is the realisation of a dream to support students with a disability by providing funding and support to assist them in their transition from school into the workplace or further studies.

‘Thanks to the generous support of the local community and Rieslingfreak customers, we have been able to award two scholarships so far and I am excited to announce the opening of applications for the 2019 Kicking Goals Scholarship.’

The scholarship was born from John’s own experience of applying for over 140 jobs, going to interviews and not going further. He was able to secure unpaid work experience which eventually lead to a 10-year career at the Australian Wine Research Institute before he left to establish his award-winning Rieslingfreak label.

The scholarship is open to students in Year 11 who have a disability and reside in the Barossa region. It provides financial assistance ($500 per year) for years 11 and 12. The recipient also receives ongoing mentoring from John. At the end of Year 12, an additional $3500 is available to fund further education, educational aids or transport.

“Foundation Barossa is proud to offer the Kicking Goals scholarship and is grateful for the ongoing support of John Hughes and the other businesses and individuals involved to ensure this valuable initiative can continue. Supporting disabled youth in the Barossa to achieve their educational and employment goals is just another way the foundation is able to fulfil its mission of giving today to enable tomorrow,” said Nick Slape, Chair of Foundation Barossa.

Previous recipients Brodie Healy and Joshua Grace have already benefited from the scholarship with John playing an active role in supporting both to identify future education goals and career pathways.

The first round of Peter Lehmann Arts and Education Trust (PLAET) grants have been awarded and Margaret Lehmann, chair of the Advisory Committee has expressed her delight at the calibre of the applications.

“The range and richness of the applications would have struck a chord with Peter. I didn’t know what to expect with this inaugural round, but the results exceeded even my highest hopes – and made selection very hard,” she said.

Almost $21,000 will be shared between seven successful applicants:

Two exciting projects showcasing the Hill & Son Organ – Joshua Van Konklenberg will work with Adam Page on a CD of organ improvisations based on art, poems or prose provided by Barossa residents while Sebastian Phlox will create a new organ composition based on the Barossa region. The two projects both aim to make the Organ an ongoing and vibrant part of Barossan cultural life and open it to new audiences through school workshops, and a joint launch in August 2019.

Preservation and protection of historic Luhr’s Cottage.

Workshops to assist the Tutti Visual Arts Group to create artworks for SALA 2019 (all Tutti Artists are living with a disability).

Creation of a mural as part of the redesign of the courtyard at Barossa Village.

Development of a toolkit by Danielle Edwards to assist Barossa farmers and food producers to promote the Barossa region as a food tourism destination and to create an ongoing demand for their products.

“The Hill & Son Grand Organ was a project that Peter and I took a personal interest in, and loved to visit on Saturday mornings to check on the progress of the restoration. It is essential that opportunities for this great instrument continue to be a vital part of musical life, not just in the Barossa, so I am especially excited about the projects that will focus on making this wonderful organ part of 21stcentury music making,” said Margaret Lehmann.

“As a result of these grants, we will see many exciting projects come to fruition in the coming year. The awards will reach into many corners of the community including youth, the aged and the disabled as well as projects to engage the whole community,” said Nick Slape, Chair of Foundation Barossa.

PLAET was established in 2014 to increase arts and cultural learning opportunities and access by providing grants for a range of arts, culture and education based projects. Foundation Barossa oversees the administration of the trust with an Advisory Committee including members of the Lehmann family.

Viticulture, law, public policy, education, and geospatial science are just some of the courses studied by past winners of the Thomas and Cellarmasters Scholarships from Foundation Barossa.

‘Foundation Barossa has always enjoyed the chance to sponsor young Barossans in their chosen fields of study. These scholarships have seen some great kids go on to do some remarkable things, helped along by the generous support of their community.” said Nick Slape from Foundation Barossa.

Students can receive up to $6000 per year for three years to help them focus on their tertiary studies full time. Both scholarships offer students opportunities for work placements and mentoring with Barossa-based businesses.

David and Barbara Thomas established the Thomas Foundation in 1998 to ensure that the aspirations and goals of young people in the Barossa were not hampered by their family circumstances. The foundation also provides young people with an opportunity to contribute to the local community.

The Foundation Barossa Cellarmaster Scholarship was created in 2014 as a partnership with Cellarmasters and Vinpac in recognition of the loyalty, commitment and support provided by staff, customers and suppliers in the Barossa.

“Applications are submitted online and it only takes a computer, a copy of your resume and a little bit of time. If you know anyone starting University or TAFE next year tell them to apply!” said Nick Slape

Applications for the 2019 Thomas and Cellarmasters scholarships close on November 30, 2018.

A number of additional scholarships including the Barossa Bands and Kicking Goals Scholarships are open for applications year round.

Click here for further information, eligibility requirements and the online applications.

If you would like more information about these scholarships or about the work of Foundation Barossa in general, please email info@foundationbarossa.org.au.

It has been another big year for Foundation Barossa, with the consolidation of the Peter Lehmann Arts and Education Trust and several changes to the Board.

The original vision behind the Foundation was to encourage philanthropy and provide a vehicle for Barossans to build a sustainable financial asset. Invested funds would be used to nurture our community, providing opportunities for community groups; for those less advantaged; for young people starting out; and to contribute to the health and preservation of our heritage and environment.

This past year has seen a number of projects and activities deliver on the promise. These include:

The completion of the Pinery Bushfire Appeal grants process, with just over $47,000 distributed to communities affected by the fires.

$5,000 delivered to programs through Community Grants bringing the total distribution of our grants to the community to over $35,000.

Awarding of the first Barossa Bands scholarship funded by the Nuriootpa Brass Band and the Marananga Brass Band.

Allocation of funds through the scholarships program reaching over $350,000.

Establishment of the Peter Lehmann Arts and Education Trust.

To learn more about the Foundation’s programs, outcomes and how you can help support your community, please download your copy of the 2018 Annual Report below, or contact us on: info@foundationbarossa.org.au

Since 1994 Torbreck has been committed to creating exceptional Rhone style red and white wines reflecting the very best vineyards in Australia’s famous Barossa. Now, Torbreck is offering an opportunity for someone aspiring to a career in Viticulture, to join their team and contribute to their vision.

This newly established position is the first step to a long-term career in the wine industry. Torbreck are offering all the training and support needed to acquire qualifications, learn practical and technical skills and grow to be a first-class vineyard operator.

You will need to have a strong work ethic, be enthusiastic and active and have the ability to get on with the people around you. You will value the opportunity to learn new skills, enjoy practical work and the chance to make a contribution to Torbreck’s world class wines.

This position is partly funded through the CONCORDIS program and is an Award role offering substantially above Traineeship wages.
Students currently completing Year 12 are encouraged to apply (in which case, start date will be deferred until January 2019.)

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please email your application including a cover letter outlining why you would fit the position and your resume to info@foundationbarossa.org.au, no later than Monday September 17.